2021-04-12 / Last updated : 2022-03-16 Sylvain Events

Night walk through the Sakura at Matsumoto Castle

With the onset of spring comes the much-anticipated cherry blossom season. The Japanese know how to celebrate this event as it should! Matsumoto City is adorned with the most beautiful pink and white pigments. But do you know what happens after dark? Matsumoto and its historic castle are lit up for an even more impressive sight! Join us for a night walk through the Sakura at Matsumoto Castle. The interior garden of the castle The grounds inside the castle are normally closed after 4:30 pm. But during the Night Time Cherry Blossoms Festival, access is permitted to the interior garden of Matsumoto Castle for a limited time. It is from […]
2021-04-08 / Last updated : 2022-03-16 Kevin Kato Seasonal Topics

Find the Most Beautiful Cherry Blossoms in Matsumoto

Spring has once again come to Matsumoto! The air is warmer, the evenings are longer, and the trees are exploding in white and pink. Everywhere you turn you’ll see these famous flowers called ‘sakura’. But if you want to find the most beautiful cherry blossoms in Matsumoto, it’s good to know where to look. Lucky for you, we know exactly where to go! Matsumoto Castle – of course! Yes, this is a given! Matsumoto Castle is a beautiful sight on its own. Surrounded by sakura, Japan’s oldest extant castle keep takes on an aura of fairytale proportions. And yet there’s more than just the main castle itself. Take a walk […]
2021-04-07 / Last updated : 2022-03-16 Kevin Kato History

Halls of History in Matsumoto: The Old Higher School Museum

During the Meiji Restoration, Japan established a network of special secondary schools to nurture the country’s best and brightest young minds. There were only forty-one of these ‘Higher Schools’ in Japan. Matsumoto was home to one of them. Most of these schools no longer exist, but you can still walk these halls of history right here in Matsumoto, at the Old Higher School Museum in Agata-no-Mori Park. Life of the Higher Schools When Japan opened its ports to the world in 1868, a deluge of western ideas came pouring in. To more deeply understand the ways of the west, Japan established a network of Imperial universities where students took science, […]
2021-03-25 / Last updated : 2021-07-07 Sylvain News

The « Tamayura » Collection : Poetry by Shizuka Miyatsu – Available now!

We are pleased to announce the release of the Tamayura collection of poems – “I listen to myself attentively in silence” – available today! Take an opportunity to discover a local poet in bilingual French and Japanese. Shizuka Miyatsu – 宮津静 – invites you to share his unique vision of the world around him through his poetry. Meet the poet of Matsumoto! Shizuka & Miyatsu “I am giving you a part of Me, so that you no longer feel alone. In the world, one is with the other.” Ephemeral Western poets say that life is transitory and beautiful. One example of this is the Japanese tea ceremony, Simple beauty, without […]
2021-03-24 / Last updated : 2022-03-16 Sylvain Notification

Matsumoto’s museums closure notification: Museum of Art & Kaichi School

Due to large-scale renovations, the Matsumoto City Museum of Art, the Former Kaichi School and the Matsumoto City Museum will begin their temporary closures from April 2021. Due to the importance of this work, these museums will remain closed for the near future. Please see below for further information regarding Matsumoto’s museums closure notification. The Matsumoto City Museum of Art showcases the works of many Japanese artists and houses a permanent exhibition of the world-renowned avant-garde artist, Yayoi Kusama. This museum will be closed for about one year following April 1st, 2021 due to large-scale renovations. Read our article Built at the beginning of the Meiji Period, The Former Kaichi […]
2021-03-09 / Last updated : 2022-03-16 Kevin Kato Experience

Authentic Hot Spring Experience in Downtown Matsumoto: Shioi-no-yu

No doubt one of the most sought-after experiences for any visitor to Japan is a trip to an authentic hot spring. Matsumoto has not one but two onsen villages out on the eastern edges of town. But if you are pressed for time, or want to add a little convenience to your experience, check out Shioi-no-yu. This onsen is located just a few minutes’ walk from Matsumoto Castle. Enjoy an authentic hot spring experience in downtown Matsumoto! The Backstory With the dawn of the Meiji Era came the end of Japan’s feudal system. As Matsumoto Castle fell into disuse, so did the residences of the surrounding samurai district. A man […]
2021-03-05 / Last updated : 2022-06-15 Kevin Kato Sightseeing

Matsumoto’s Other National Treasure: The Historic Kaichi Elementary School

For most people the name Matsumoto brings to mind countless beautiful mountains and one beautiful castle. The mountains are part of Chubu-sangaku National Park. The castle was designated a National Treasure in 1952 – and for over sixty-five years was the only one in town. But in 2019 the Historic Kaichi Elementary School was added to that short list. So after enjoying the famed beauty of the castle, take a walk up the road and check out Matsumoto’s “Other” National Treasure. Japan’s Ministry of Education was created in 1871 by the new Meiji government, and wasted no time getting to work. In 1872 a series of educational system reforms was […]
2021-02-24 / Last updated : 2022-03-16 Mike Stiles Local Food & Drinks

Exploring Matsumoto’s spring water wells

I took a stroll around downtown Matsumoto to visit some of the many Matsumoto’s spring water wells. Just underneath much of Nagano Prefecture lies a subterranean aquifer. Much of this pure natural spring water is tapped by the many wells around the city. Small treasures around each corner In Matsumoto there are around 20 such public wells and dozens more private wells scattered all over the city. Each well, large and small, has its own character. Many of them are picturesque and easily accessible. Clear spring water bubbles up from these wells during much of the year. Prehistoric waters and a centuries old tradition The aquifer is eons old and […]
2021-02-17 / Last updated : 2021-07-07 Kevin Kato Sightseeing

Matsumoto’s Hidden Treasure: The Ikegami Tea House

In the shadow of Matsumoto Castle, our town’s most famous treasure, sits a jewel that few people know about: the Ikegami Tea House. Known more fondly by the name Hyakuchiku-tei, this is one slice of Matsumoto’s history worth endeavoring to see. Explore Matsumoto’s Hidden Treasure with us! The Residence Hyakuchiku-tei means “Hundred Bamboo Place” – a fitting name for the home that Matsumoto merchant Kisaku Ikegami built for himself in 1958. No longer a private residence, Hyakuchiku-tei is open to the public. What’s more, it costs nothing to go in and take a look around. But there is a catch: Hyakuchiku-tei is such a secret that they may seem a […]
2021-02-10 / Last updated : 2021-07-07 Sylvain Notification

Matsumoto Facebook Live: February 13th, 2021 (Sat) – 3pm (JST)

Do you love Japan? Want to experience wintertime in the Japanese Alps? Join us and let’s go on journey of winter discovery together with Welcome-Matsumoto Facebook Live show!! Fun From Home Welcome-Matsumoto, in cooperation with The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and The Nagano Prefecture Tourism Organization (Go! Nagano, Japan), introduces Matsumoto City and the many wonderful sights in Nagano Prefecture, LIVE! From Matsumoto’s famous castle and historic Nawate Street to Nagano’s fabulous Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park and much more! Date & Time The Facebook live show begins on Saturday, Feb 13th at 3pm (15:00 – Japan Standard Time JST, UTC+9) and duration will be approximatively one hour. The experience […]
2021-02-02 / Last updated : 2022-03-16 Mike Stiles Art

Exploring the latest art trends at Matsumoto City Art Museum!

What’s with the modernist building with the huge funky flowers out front? The building is the Matsumoto City Art Museum and the “flowers” are sculptures by local artist Yayoi Kusama. I had an opportunity to visit the museum and browse. Kusama’s work can be quite immersive and usually puts a smile on my face! Yayoi Kusama – A living treasure Born and raised in Matsumoto, Yayoi Kusama spent much of her early life and career in France and the US. During the 1960s she was a major fixture of “The Happening” art scene in New York City. Kusama returned to Japan in 1972. Since that time she has continued to […]
2020-12-30 / Last updated : 2022-03-16 Mike Stiles Local Food & Drinks

Getting a “kick” out of fresh real Wasabi in Matsumoto

I visited the Daio Wasabi Farm recently. With its wide open spaces, it is a great place to walk around and take some pictures. Also a good opportunity to pick up fresh real wasabi root in Matsumoto for the kitchen! If you like wasabi, the culture and history of wasabi farming is very interesting too! The largest of its kind… in the world!  The Daio Wasabi Farm in Azumino is perhaps the greatest to be found anywhere! Nestled right next to Matsumoto in the foothills of Azumino Village, the farm is a charming place to visit any time of year. Founded in the early 1900s, the farm has been carefully […]